Vehicle-brake.



No. 849,682. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. W. E. & 0. s HEAVLIN. VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.14,1906.

UN TTED STATES PATET OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. HEAVLIN AND CLIFFORD S. HEAVLIN, OF BOWERSTON, OHIO.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, \VILLIAM E. HEAVLIN and CLIFFORD S. I'IEAVLIN,citizens of the United States, residing at Bowerston, in the county ofHarrison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle-Brakes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention appertains to brake mechanism for vehicles having thebody connected with the running-gear by means of front and rear springs,or in such a manner as to admit of a relative longitudinal movement ofthe body and running-gear when descending 'rade, so that advantage maybe taken of the orward movement of the vehicle-body to more firmly setthe brakes proportionately to the inclination or pitch of the grade.

The invention is specially adapted for light road-vehicles-such assurreys, buggies, and the like-in which the body is connected with therunning-gear by means of light springs in a way to admit of relativelongitudinal movement of the body according as the vehicle ascends ordescends grade.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of avehicle inverted and showing the same equipped with brake mechanismconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe vehicle having parts broken away to show more clearly the relativearrangement of the co operating brake elements. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of a portion of the brakebeam and operating-rod, thelatter being disconnected from the arm of the beam. Fig. 41 is asectional view of a brake-block, showing the manner of maintaining thesame upon an arm of the brake-beam. Fig. 5 is an end view of thebrake-beam and adjunctive parts on a larger scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The vehicle shown is illustrative of the type for which the invention isdesigned, the body 1 being mounted with reference to the rimming-gear soas to receive a limited longitudinal play. The running-gear comprisesfront axle 2, rear axle 3, reach i, front spring 5, and rear spring 6.The front and rear springs 5 and 6 may be of bow form or other type andare designed to yield laterally, as well as vertically, whereby the body1 is adapted to receive a limited longitudinal movement when the vehicleis on a grade.

The brake-beam is of arch form and comprises a horizontal rod 7 andcrank-arms 8 at opposite ends, upon which are mounted the brakeshoes.The brake-beam is connected to the vehicle-body in any desired andaccustomed manner to admit of its turning accord ing as the brakes areapplied or released. As shown,'clips 9 of U form connect the brakebeamto the bottom of the vehicle-body and receive the horizontal portionthereof in their lower closed ends. An arm 10 projects from the rod 7and is rigid therewith and has the operating-rod 11 pivotally connectedthereto. The point of connection of the rod 11 with the arm 10 is at aless distance from the axis of the brake-beam than the crank-arms 8,upon which the brakeshoes are mounted, this being of especial importancein the efficiency of the brake, particularly when utilizing the relativeforward movement of the vehicle-body to automatically set the brakes, aswhen descending a grade.

A brake-setting lever 12 is mounted upon the rnnninggear at the mostconvenient position and is connected with the arm 10 of the brake-beamby means of the operating rod 11. As indicated in the drawings, thelever 12 is arranged near the front of the vehicle and is fnlcrnined at13 upon the reach 4 or an extension thereof. A toothed bar 14 islikewise attached to the running-gear and cooperates with the lever 12to hold the same in the desired position. It will thus be understoodthat the front portion of the op crating-rod 11 is directly connectedwith the running-gear, whereas the rear end is connected with thebrake-beam mounted upon the vehicle-body. hen the vehicle descends gradeand the body moves forward.

the brake-beam is slightly rocked, thereby applying the brake with aforce depending upon the inclination or pitch of the grade and the loadcarried by the vehicle-body. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5, thepoint of connection 15 between the operating-rod 11 and the arm 10remains fixed, whereas the horizontal portion 7 of the brakebeam movesforward with the vehiclebody, thereby causing the brake-beam to rock ormove so as to throw its crank-arms rearward and bring the brake-shoes incontact or cause them to bear with a greater pressure upon the rearwheels 16. When the vehicle reaches level ground or an upgrade, thevehicle-body assumes a normal positionthat is, moves rearward-therebyreleasing the brakes. In this connection it is to be understood that theoperating-rod 11 acts by comvpressive force rather than pulling force,hence should be suficiently stout to resist the pushing or compressiveforce imposed thereon when the vehicle-body moves forward so as to setthe brakes more firmly when the vehicle is descending a grade. The lever12 preferably extends through a slot 17 in the bottom of thevehicle-body, near the front end thereof so as to be pressed for- Wardby the foot of the driver when required.

The brake-block 18 of each brake-shoe is loosely mounted upon thecrank-arm 8 of the brake-beam so as to turn slightly thereon and adaptitself to the relative position of the crank-arm and wheel as the brakeis ap plied. As shown in Fig. 4, the outer end of the crank-arm isreduced, a shoulder 19 being provided at the inner end of .the reduced.part and forming a stop to limit the inward movement of thebrake-shoe,the latter being held in place by means of a nut 20. A spring 21encircles a portion of the crank arm and has its opposite ends inpositive engagement with the crank-arm and the brakeshoe, soas to holdthe latter in a given position and admit of the brake-shoe turning toadapt itself to the relative inclination of the crank-arm when settingthe brakes. The spring 21 is preferably let into a recess 22, formed ina side of the brake-block, whereby it is housed and prevented fromcollecting mud and other foreign matter.

It will be observed that the operating-rod 11 has its point ofconnection 15 with the arm 10 nearer the horizontal portion 7 of thebrake-beam than the part of the crank-arm upon which the brake-shoe ismounted. This arrangement is preferred, since in practice it gives thebest results in application of the brakes by a relative forward movementof the vehicle-body. It is to be understood that the movement of thebody with reference to the running-gear is comparatively slight and isdue entirely to the lateral yieldin of the springs caused by the weightof the ve 'cle-body when on a grade. In order to utilize this movementto automatically set the brakes, the driver upon approaching a downgradesets the brakes lightly and locks the lever by means of the toothed ornotched bar 14. As the vehicle enters upon the downgrade and thevehicle-body moves forward the brake-beam correspondingly movestherewith; but the front end of the operating-rod 11 being fixed to therunning-gear and being held stationary the pivot connection 15 betweenthe rear end of said operating-rod and the arm 10 likewise remainsstationary and the brake-beam turns upon the point 15, with the resultthat the crank-arms 8 and brake-shoes are thrown rearward, therebyapplying the brake with a greater degree of pressure proportionate tothe pitch of the grade and the load.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is In avehicle, the combination of runninggear comprising frontand rear axles,a reach connecting the said axles, and front and rear springs mountedupon the respective axles, a body mounted upon the said springs andhaving a limited longitudinal play with reference to the running-gearand both axles thereof, a brake-beam mounted in bearings upon thevehicle-body and having terminal crank-arms provided with brake-shoesarranged to bear against the wheels and provided withan intermediate armof less length than said crankarms, a brake-setting lever mounted uponthe running-gear, means for locking said lever to the running-gear in anadjusted position, and a rigid operating-rod attached at one end to thebrake-setting lever and having connection at the opposite end with thesaid intermediate arm of the brake-beam, the parts being arranged tooperate substantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

IVILLIAM E. HEAVLIN. [L.S.]

CLIFFORD S. HEAV'LIN. I L.S.]

Witnesses:

E. S. MILLER,

J. F. RoBY.

